Cornflower Blue Tears
by egoXlockheart
Summary: Namine is lost in her home of Castle Oblivion. When hope comes in the form of a new world, she is not one to deny it. A new friend is found, and things are beginning to look good for the blonde, but are they really? Might be hints of NaminexAxel/Alice
1. Among The Darkness

**A/N:**

ok, maybe I should tell you that I really don't know anything about Alice OR Namine... or Axel, for what it's worth. My brother plays more Kingdom Hearts than me.

I did play the first game tho! ( Does that count...? ) LOL I just hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Namine's heart beat rapidly in her chest. Faster than the constant patter of her shoes, echoing off of every wall in the hallway. This occurred often, Axel chasing her after he got drunk. She tried to run, but the result was like a nightmare - always running, never fast enough. She could hear Axel's heavy boots stamping unevenly behind her. They seemed so close, and yet, when she turned around he was still out of sight.

Namine hated herself in every way possible. How could she have ended up with such a horrible life? The closest thing she had to a friend was Axel, who only used her for her body, and only if he was drunk. Everyone else seemed to disappear when he was storming around on one of his rants, which was convenient for Namine only because she could actually get around Castle Oblivion without running into an Organization member, and being punished for leaving her room.

Once, a very long time ago, Axel had once told her that he had liked her. He had been playing with Namine before he had started to drink. Every night, he would sneak up in her room and say things like, "You're so pretty in the moonlight," or "You look pretty when you smile." For a while, Namine actually thought he was a good person. Until the Organization found out. They abused him for weeks until he said he would stop coming near her. Now, it's only to abuse her with sex.

Turning a corner, Namine caught a glimpse of a dead end. It was very odd, because the hallway before the dead end was extremely narrow, and all that sat at the end was a tall clear mirror, with a flowery golden rim.

The artist paused to gaze at the beautiful mirror that she had never noticed in all the times she snuck around the castle, but not for long. "Little kitty," growled Axel, "I'm coming for you!" The bellowing laugh that echoed across the hall sent shivers up Namine's spine.

Turning a sharp corner, Namine slides on the smooth tile. Her dress catches on an end table. She can't move. Attempting to pull the cloth that was attached firmly to a loose bolt in the side of the table, she looks around. She didn't know where she would go if Axel came. Dispite the utter size of the castle, it suddenly seemed too small for Namine's liking. Tears welled up, as she realized she might be caught again.

Footsteps came from behind her. "You've been caught," Axel smirked. Turning, Namine saw the lofty redhead bent toward her.

"What.. are you going to do to me?" She stammered, unsuccessfully trying to keep her voice calm.

"Everything, babe."

Namine trembled, still fumbling with her dress. Finally! She was free. Turning down the first hallway she saw, she began running. Little did she know it was the dead ended one with the golden mirror. She didn't see this, though, because she was looking behind her, making sure Axel wasn't following her. Instead, he had this look of satisfaction on his face, but the blonde haired teen couldn't figure out why....

Until she turned and it was too late. She was already too far in motion to stop herself. She clutched her body, and closed her eyes, waiting for the impact of the blow.

Her last thought was, _Oh no. I'm going to be crushed._


	2. Hiding Place

As Namine collided with the mirror, she didn't know what happened. She was still alive, that was for sure, but.... she wasn't in pain either. In fact, it was as though there had been no mirror at all. She had ran through what felt like jelly, before tumbling down to someplace unknown.

Down, down, down she fell. The blonde could feel her body tumbling in the air, rolling over itself effortlessly. She soon lost consciousness of what was up and down, for clouds obscured her veiw. All she could see was white and blue, and she was scared of what she might collide with. Afraid that she was still someplace in that dreaded castle, that the mirror had been blocking a passage, Namine didn't allow herself to scream. Instead, she clutched her body, and attempted to cover her head to prepare herself for a landing.

Suddenly, all too suddenly, Namine was on the ground, the taste of grass heavy in her mouth. She tried to spit it out, but the pain of the fall held her down. Slowly, she closed her blue eyes, and continued laying there, her aching body keeping her hostage.

She moaned softly to herself, and attempted to roll onto her back, but even that proved useless. She gave up trying, and rested on the cool wet grass that had cushioned her great plummet out of the sky.

"That was a frightfully long drop," Namine heard a faint voice say from behind her, "I do hope your not hurt?" Namine wondered for a moment who would ask such a silly question - of course she was hurt! She had fallen at least ten feet! Thinking better of it, she laid quietly without saying anything. She wondered if the girl with the pretty voice that sounded like wind chimes had left yet.

Gaining the strength to roll over, Namine saw a girl, maybe only a year younger than she was, staring her in the face. The girl had golden ringlets that fell around her soft cream face, and wearing a cornflower blue dress. "Who... are you?" Namine asked in a whisper.

"I'm Alice," The girl replied back, holding out her hand for Namine to take.

Namine grabbed her hand and pulled herself into a sitting position. She looked around, and to her surprise, saw a place very different from the castle where she had been just moments ago. "Where am I?" She asked, dazed, and confused. Everything seemed to be unusual here, but Namine wasn't planning on going back any time soon.

"This is Wonderland," smiled Alice kindly. Her blue dress ruffled in the opposite direction of the breeze that had begun to pick up. She looked around wildly. "Oh no, a storm must be on it's way for the wind to be blowing like this," She said with a thoughtful look on her face. "Come."

Together, the girls skipped, leaped, and bounded across the meadow where Namine had landed, toward a building that appeared to be a great distance away. In only a few short steps, the blonde was in front of an extremely large door. The door was purple with many designs spiraling up and down its exterior. Namine sucked in a breath at it's regal appearance. She felt unfit to be standing with such authority in front of such a magnificent door. Yet, Alice, hand still wrapped gently around the blonde's thin wrist, opened the door gracefully and walked right in.

The trip down the extensive hall continued on farther than any corridor in Castle Oblivion; even so, Namine never began to get bored from the walk through the building, along with Alice, who kept the other girl entertained with stories and questions about the elder. "Where did you come from?" Asked Alice quizzically.

Namine looked down at her feet, and wondered what to say. Finally, she replied, "I came from a castle." Smiling as the other's eyes widened in amazement, she continued, "It has long hallways, like this one, and tall towers, that rise above everything else, and frown down upon the buildings less superior to it." Namine stops, fearing that if she told Alice any more, the girl might faint.

"Oh, it sounds lovely! I should very much like to see it," The girl replied, her eyes suddenly becoming distant.

"I'll take you sometime, if I'm able," Namine feels a pang of guilt for lying, but she knew it was too late to take her words back now.

"KITTY KITTY!" A voice erupted from nowhere, shaking the walls of the endless corridor. Namine jumped in fear, for she had recognized Axel's voice immediately. How could he have found her here?! Flailing around wildly, she searched the room for him, but in vain. Thankfully. Until his booming voice shook all of Wonderland a second time. "I know where you're hiding, and I'm coming for you! My sweet, you better run, because you can't hide!" He laughed, a sickening, throaty sound that made Namine curl up into a ball on the purple carpet.

"Are you alright?!" Alice exclaimed, dropping to her knees in front of Namine to examine her. "What was that?" Her voice still kept its light airy sound, but definitely contained hints of worry.

"Alice, I have to leave now, before I become harmed," Namine tried to explain as calmly as possible. She was scared of what would happen when she went back to that dark castle, but she feared worse what would happen if she stayed here. "I'm sorry," She said, before running out of the hallway that was now only a few steps away.

The golden haired girl had been right, it was now storming outside, but Namine wasn't phased. Somehow, she had to devise a plan to escape up into the cloud from whence she came. She saw an overly large mushroom that had been left unnoticed before, and jumped on it. The bounce sent her up high into the air, and tumbling back onto the floor of Castle Oblivion.

Scurrying through the narrow passages, the blonde tried her best to not get caught. Unsuccessfully. "Where've you been? I missed you last night," Axel cooed, appearing from nowhere. Namine had always hated that, watching them just having to disappear and reappear someplace else just by using some simple dark magic. She wished she knew how to do that. Looking her over, Axel's face suddenly became puzzled. "Why is your hair all wet?" Now he was furious. "You ran away. Where to, huh?! You'll be punished when I tell the organization about this," he smirked.

"I..." Namine began, "Didn't you..." She trailed off. I had been Axel's voice she had heard from Wonderland, so how was he so clueless now? The young girl was at a loss. She tried a different strategy. "Please don't tell. I'll do anything."

"Anything, huh?" Axel contemplated this for a while. "Deal. Hurry and get back to your chamber before anyone else sees you," He said finally. One good thing about Axel, was that he had a soft spot for Namine - for the most part. Namine sighed in relief and ran up to her room.


	3. Two Become One

Days have passed, but thankfully they have been short ones. Organization members had been keeping an especially close eye on Namine since the last time Axel went into a rage. Namine didn't mind; they were usually pretty content with her mood, and kept quiet when it was their turn on watch. If any of them had bothered to look at the pictures she had drawn, they would know immediately what had been going on.

They were lovely, though nobody bothered to look. Even if they had, they wouldn't have cared. Pictures of grassy meadows that spread beyond the horizon in the far distance, beautiful doors colored deep purples and golds, and flowers, oh, such amazing flowers. Namine had never seen such different types and colors of flowers, and so many in one place. Everything was vibrant and colorful. Among all of these pictures lied one more gorgeous than the rest. One that was a drawing of a blue eyed, creamy skinned girl with golden ringlets and a cornflower blue dress. Namine knew she just had to go back. She had never found out what lied beyond that door at the end of the hall.

Tonight she might be able to escape; after all, it was going to be Axel keeping a watch, and Namine knew he would soon fall asleep. Yes, she knew this would work. When every member was asleep, she would sneak out her bedroom door, down the hall, and through that vast mirror at the end. Hopefully, nobody would get in her way. If they did, then she would have a problem. Namine bit her lip in thought. Problems seemed to follow her everywhere. Chances are, there was going to be an issue tonight. Ah, she decided she'd just face it when it came - there wasn't much else she could really do anyway.

The rest of the day dragged on forever. Namine drew all day, and yet her mind always wandered back to what her friend Alice was up to. Larxene was keeping watch over her now, she realized as she looked up. She had been so preoccupied with her drawing to even notice the people walking in and out of her room. Usually Larxene was louder and more rude to Namine, but today she seemed restless and upset. Her mood surprised Namine, and, despite herself, she asked what was wrong. "Larxene, what is bothering you," Namine wondered aloud.

"None of your business, _girl_," Larxene spit at her. Namine winced and immediately regretted asking. Looking away, she knew Larxene to act differently than this. Quietly, she decided to speak up again.

"You... can tell me," Namine whispered across the room to where Larxene was standing with her arms crossed over her chest.

Larxene glared at Namine for a long time, then turned her gaze to the ground. "Your boyfriend Axel rejected me for you," she fumed.

The younger teen gasped. She was at a loss. "I'm sorry," she said finally. She looked back to her drawing pad and continued to draw, still unsure of what to do. She felt a little sorry for Larxane, but she also believed Larxene deserved it. That particular organization member had a tenancy to hit her harder. _Then again_, Namine realized,_ that_ _could be the reason...._

The rest of the day passed by without Either teen saying another word to each other. It was uneventful to Namine, and unfortunately, it was almost the same as any other day in Castle Oblivion. Finally, Namine could see from her window the sun beginning to set, and watched Larxene walk out of her room. Finally, it was almost time for her to go.

"Hey, kid," Axel stated blankly as he took his shift at her door.

"I'm tired, so I'm going to sleep now," Namine explained, crawling to her bed and climbing in under the covers. She looked behind her at Axel, who nodded knowingly. Patiently, she pretended to sleep, laying there quietly for an hour and a half. Finally, she rolled over and opened her eyes to find Axel snoring quietly in his chair.

Jumping out of bed in a haste, she grabbed her drawing notebook and padded quietly out into the bare hallway. Running, she was flying over the light grey flooring, dashing past the plain walls of Castle Oblivion, and coming to a halt in front of the beautiful mirror. She reached up to touch its aw striking clear glass, but instead, felt her hand go right through. Perfect. Bounding through the thick liquid, she landed (thankfully) on her feet in front of the regal building.

"I wondered if you would come back. I'm sure you were busy, living in a castle all day," Namine heard Alice's voice from behind her. She smiled, hearing a friendly voice, and feeling freed of Castle Oblivion, if only for a short while.


	4. Land Of Wonder

Namine turned to see her pretty friend once again, and felt alive once more. She grinned. "Alice, will you show me what's at the end of that hallway? I've been curious ever since I first saw it."

Returning the smile, Alice nodded and proceeded through the huge purple doors. Together, the girls ran to the other side in only a few minutes - much shorter than the journey before (for things are never as far as they seem) - and approached a table with two filled glasses on it. One was a yellowish color, and the other was a sickly green. Namine frowned, for she had expected something different than this. Looking up at Alice, she saw that she held out the yellowish liquid for Namine to take.

"We can't continue until you drink the potion. You're too big to go through the door as you are now," She explained, brushing her golden curls behind her shoulder. A potion, thought Namine in wonder. She had always wanted to try magic. Cautiously, she took the drink, and felt her whole body rearrange, growing very small.

Following behind her, Alice repeated the process, and also became very small. Namine now noticed a door behind the (now giant) table. Walking up, she reached out to grab the handle, but instead jumped back in shock as the doorknob began talking.

"What are you doing?!" It bellowed. Staggering backward, Namine toppled onto an unsuspecting Alice standing behind her.

"What happened?" Alice asked, worried another voice had yelled at her skittish friend.

"The...doorknob..."

"Oh," Alice stated, and began laughing.

"It's not funny!" Namine defended, cheeks blossoming bright red. Alice paused to gaze at her pale face, suddenly so vibrant, so pretty! As though a fire had been sparked just beneath her skin.

Coming to her feet, Alice bravely (as her rosy-cheeked friend saw it) asked the door to let her pass. Behind her, a still shaky Namine said, "Wonderland is a name that suits this place..."

"Are you afraid?" Alice asked gently. Namine felt a slightly sticky hand brush against her arm, finally closing around her fingers.

Looking away in embarrassment, she admitted a quiet, "Yes," and felt the hand grasp hers just a little more tighter. The girls were now standing in a room - no, Namine realized, it wasn't a room - more like a courtyard. Hedges surrounded them, except for one on the other end of the room. A rabbit ran past them, muttering to himself, making Namine gasp in surprise. Alice seemed to get more joy out of watching her friend's facial expressions then exploring Wonderland.

Namine was having the time of her life. Never had she seen such wonders - such majesty - in a place that lied within her own home. After being locked up in that stone cold castle for so long, it was a nice feeling to feel a warm breeze. This sensation captivated the girl, overpowering her senses. Never had Namine been so ready to throw her whole life behind her, if it meant starting fresh in a world such as this one. And Alice was her guide, her key to opening the door of this world. She showed her everything, from the giant flowers that rise above you even when your hands are stretched toward the sky, to the magic and wonders of the potions that sat around everywhere. Namine struggled to retain everything, when new spellbinding interests were surrounding her.

Stopping to close her eyes and breathe in one of the rose's bittersweet petals, Namine felt her mind clear of all things Wonderland for a moment. It was at this moment that she remembered Axel in her room, who could wake up at any minute. Eyes flying open, she swerved to face her blue-eyed friend, still smelling her side of the rosebush. "Alice!" She exclaimed, jolting her friend, causing her to look bleary-eyed as though she had just woken up, she continued, "I have to go. It's a long story I -"

Alice cut her off softly. "If you say it's a long story, yet you have to leave, it's ok. You can explain later." Namine thanked her friend, still dazed from the sudden occurrence. How could she be so wise sometimes? It really boggled Namine's mind, she thought as she jumped onto the spore at the base of the mirror home.

Crashing onto the tile in Castle Oblivion;s white floors, Namine noticed a pair of boots on the floor in front of her. She was afraid to look up at who she might find. Bowing her head so that her chin was boring a hole into her chest, she waited for the mystery person to speak. She recognized the voice immediately.

"You're lucky it's me finding you and not someone else," Axel purred. "And I think it's time that you gave me that anything you promised the last time I caught you out here."


	5. Promises

Namine winced as Axel asked her about the deal she had made with him. It wasn't like she'd had a choice in the first place. For a minute, the blonde wondered if she had been playing right into his hands. Axel nodded as though he knew what she was thinking. "Ok babe, let's get this over with before the organization wakes up." He grabbed her arm and dragged her off. When they passed the hallway leading to her room, she looked at him in confusion. Before, when he had done this because he was stoned, it had always been in her room. Seeing her look, he added, "No, I promise that I'm not drunk, and I'm not just doing this because of that side of me." Namine's eyes widened as she realized that he was dead serious about this whole thing.

Following the spiky redhead through the doorway to his room, Namine realized that despite their sometimes friendship, even on his good days, Namine had never before been inside Axel's bedroom. Even so, this is exactly how she would picture it. The floor was whiter than paper, like the rest of the tiling in Castle Oblivion. The walls, however, were painted black, and deep red curtains hung from the windows. Something told Namine that the other organization members didn't know about this odd color combination, and the ones that did knew to keep their mouth shut. Axel continued to haul Namine until she was sitting on the bed. Folding her hands, she looked down and waited for the tall man to do something - anything to her. Surprisingly, he took a seat next to her and unzipped his long black robe leisurely, revealing normal clothes underneath. She angled her body away from his, but he didn't protest. Instead, he began asking her questions. "Why don't you like me?" He asked, the words coming out so fast they jumbled together.

Namine was shocked - she had been expecting something much different than this. Before she could answer, he started talking again in that same quick embarrassed tone. "Please, I'm really crazy about you and I would be very nice to you. I don't care what the organization members say any more." With his long fingers, Axel turned her chin up to his and planted a soft kiss on her lips. It was different from when he had been drinking. Those kisses had always been more rough and demanding. This one barely brushed her, as though he was afraid of getting to close.

Namine pulled away slowly. "I'm sorry..."

"I don't understand why, though. I'm the only one here that even cares to look you in the face. And I have these awesome good looks," He joked, trying to loosen the tension. "Remember how I told the other organization members that I would stop being in love with you? Well I never did, and now I'm asking you why don't you feel the same?"

"Stop!" Namine was surprised at how demanding her quiet voice was. "Just because you love me doesn't mean I'll automatically like you back - that makes no sense! And if you truly loved me, you would have stood up for me when the organization members said those things."

"You don't understand," Axel defended earnestly. "I've changed. I haven't had a shot in over three days. That's a pretty huge deal for me.  
"And if you really loved me, you would respect the fact that I don't love you back." As Namine said this, Axel recoiled back as though the tiny girl had slapped him. His eyes were dead for a few moments.

"You're right," he said. His eyes then lit up wildly. "But we still haven't gotten to the 'anything' part of the deal yet."

Namine gulped. After this somewhat pleasant conversation, she didn't expect him to go this route. She couldn't turn him down, because she had already made the deal. Looking up at him, she saw him smirk at her. "Don't worry love, I'll be gentle."

- -

The water from the shower was scalding as it trickled down the blonde's back. She watched the soap subs leave a slippery trail to the drain. _Disgusting_, she thought with a grimace. Axel had abused her many times, but never, _never_, had he used her as a toy for his so called 'love'. This wasn't love, and Namine knew it. She just wondered when Axel would too.

There wasn't enough soap. The blonde scrubbed and scrubbed, and the water was so hot it seemed to boil her skin, and yet she couldn't get the memories out of her head. She squeezed her eyes indignantly, as her mind thought back to that repulsive night.

_"Try to enjoy yourself, at least a little," He said, that crooked smile trailing up his face, distorting his features. The shadows cast a glow on his face, giving him a frightening appearance, and Namine regretted the deal she had made with him._

_"No." She retorted. "I'm living up to my end of the deal."_

_"Barely," He scoffed, but left it at that. Namine had been on her back, facing the ceiling. Axel's face had been above hers, his hot breath, heavy on her face but she didn't look. Her eyes were firmly shut as she laid there, tensely, anticipating the moment that Axel would be through. Unfortunately for her, Axel seemed to being enjoying himself._

Tears formed at her eyes, and she realized that her pale skin was a deep red color from her cloth. Looking down at herself, the blonde knew that washing was all she could do, but it wasn't enough.

She still felt dirty. She still felt the hands that had so wrongly touched her. She still felt the cold skin that ran over her body that made her stomach flip flop uncomfortably.

"I am not a toy," She told herself. She spoke the words aloud, confidently, as though she even believed they were true. Hugging herself under the spray of scorching water, Namine tried to pretend that it was the truth.


	6. A New Alliance

**A/N:**

Alright, I changed up what happened in Kingdom Hearts a little bit, but hey – it keeps you on your toes, right?

Ok, I think this chapter kind of gets a little weird and confusing. Swerves away from the real plot for a while, but all in all, I think I did an ok job – if nothing else. This is like what would happen if Namine came the same time Sora did, when Alice went on trial.

* * *

Namine couldn't wait until she saw Alice again. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she made the leap through the giant mirror, landing on her feet at the base of the hallway door. "Alice!" She called, down the hallway. "Alice!" Cupping her hands around her mouth, she yelled as loud as her lungs would allow, but in vain. Every echo bounced off the walls and returned to Namine instead.

Crashing through the doorway as a much smaller version of her self, Namine glanced around furiously. There were still no signs of her blue eyed blue dressed pretty friend with the curls.

Running, Namine was running now. Past the tall flowers, past the mushrooms, past everything, to... where? She didn't know. That's when she noticed among the hedges, a door that had gone overlooked times before. She opened these doors to find the palace of the Queen of Hearts. Who should be in her grasp, but a timid Alice standing on trial on a tall pedestal? Namine ducked behind a rosebush to avoid being seen by a sentry. How peculiar, she noticed; all of the soldiers were cards. Oh well, there was no time to waste on such silly observations. Namine took a quick mental note before continuing to watch the trial.

"I am the queen, therefore you are guilty!" rang out the large woman. She was a tubby lady dressed in patterns with hearts on them. The lady held a scepter with a large red heart on the end of it.

"But ma'am please!" Namine heard Alice beg, "I did nothing wrong!" Suddenly, a boy with spiky brown hair and a look of determination came through the doors that Namine came in through. He held a particular weapon that Namine hadn't recognized in all of her years in the castle that was loaded with every kind of weapon imaginable. Despite the boy looking incredibly bright, his two sidekicks seemed to decrease his demeanor, almost making Namine giggle. No, she mustn't give away her position just yet.

"Let her go!" The boy called out across the room, startling the Queen.

"Never. She stole my hearts," Argued the Queen. The girl hiding behind the hedge wanted to scream at the woman - surely Alice didn't do that. The girl in person looked so scared up there on that very tall pedestal, and far too different from any criminals Namine had ever seen.

"Alice didn't do that! I know who did!" shouted the brown haired boy boldly.

"I want evidence! Bring me evidence!" The Queen bellowed, beckoning her cards, who dumped Alice into a cage. "Or else you'll get locked up too!" At this, the guards raised their spears in agreement. The boy ran across the yard into another door leading off to the side. Namine kept to the bushes, kneeling over in the ground. Quick as she could, she scurried through the open door.

"Hey, you!" The boy turned around and faced Namine. "What's your name?" Namine asked more softly.

"I'm Sora, yourself?" the boy who called himself Sora asked.

"Namine. Listen to me, Alice is my friend, you have to help me!" The words came out fast, making the blonde hunch her shoulders and look down in embarrassment. Sora just laughed and smiled.

"Sure!" he exclaimed, giving Namine a thumbs up. Together, the two ran off to find the kind of evidence that would free the innocent girl in that cornflower blue dress.

Together, the duo found footprints, an antenna, and a smell. Heading back to the Queen, Sora began to talk. "So, have you always been here?"

Namine shook her head sadly, "That would have been far too easy," she laughed wryly.

"What do you mean?" questioned Sora, but Namine just smiled and kicked a pebble on the dirt path. Even such dark matters seemed pointless to dwell upon in the beauty of Wonderland. Besides, the blonde was busy planning in case the Queen didn't believe their story. She didn't look like the kind of person that likes being proven wrong…

"What?!" bellowed the Queen angrily as she looked at the evidence in shock. "Surely you mere children are mistaken! Guards! Lock them all up!"

Alice turned to Namine from her cage. Even in such a circumstance, the smaller girl was kind enough to smile at her. The elder girl felt her heart lift just a little at this act. The guards that were now charging at her and Sora didn't scare her. Plowing through them, she ran through the back door. When none of the sentries bothered to follow her, she smiled. Her plan was falling into place.

From up on the hedge that towered above the court, Namine could see everything. Knowing full well what she had to do, the skinny girl began diving into the prickly plant. Because the plant was so thick, she guessed nobody could possibly see her as she climbed down to where Alice's cage was and helped her out from behind. Thankfully, nobody bothered to look their way, being all caught up with that boy Sora.

"Namine!" Alice exclaimed in a whisper, reaching her hands out to the other girl.

"Alice," Namine said in return, undoing the loose ropes that held the cage together. One thing Wonderland could work on was its defense system. If that's even what this kind of thing would be considered.

Together, the two girls pushed their way through to the other side of the bush – where a row of sentries were waiting, weapons in hand. Behind them, Namine saw a tied up Sora, struggling along with his odd friends. Her eyes widened in surprise. _This wasn't part of the plan. _Namine cursed under her breath, something she had never before done. She looked toward Sora, who gave her a responding look of disdain. Recoiling back, she realized that she deserved it; after all, she had left him.

"Sora! I was going to come back," Namine trailed off. Like he was going to believe it. Hopelessly, she put her hands up. She might as well admit that they had been caught.

"Kill them!" rang out the queen. Her voice bellowed and echoed over the entire kingdom. The thought of being killed sent shivers up Namine's spine. The girl wanted to crawl into a ball and make it all go away, like she did whenever the organization chose to abuse her. Remembering Alice beside her, the skinny blonde tried her best to stay positive, despite how difficult that was, after being sentenced to death. Grabbing the other girl's hand, she pulled herself closer to the other's warmth.

"I don't want to die," Alice breathed into her ear. Looking up, Namine saw the other girl's brave façade cracked. Seeing Alice looking so vulnerable like that, Namine began to cry of fright. Her pretty friend with the curls had always been so brave, so incredibly insightful. Not once had Namine ever seen her so full of doubt.

"No matter what, I won't let you die," Namine whispered back. There was no way she could let her friend give up now.


	7. Escaping The Queen

**A/N:**

Ok, well… I had to cut up my Sora part into two chapters. I didn't expect it to be this long. Also, I should mention that this story_ will_ be wrapping up soon. If that disappoints you, sorry. I'm ready to move on to other projects… =D

I should first say this: I'm surprised I actually pulled so much out of this plot as I did. Originally, this was way shorter in my mind, so if you think the chapters are short now, imagine if I didn't expand… .

* * *

Alice trembled in Namine's arms. The two sat in a cage next to the Queen's throne, along with Sora, who sat apart from them. Hugging the girl, Namine turned to face Sora.

"We might as well figure out how to get out of here," she whispered. Sora didn't say anything. He didn't even look up at her. The blonde sighed and slid over next to him. "Look, I'm sorry, but I told you I was trying to save my friend. I was going to come back for you, whether you believe it or not."

Sora still didn't bother to look up. He played with a buckle on his pants as he replied, "Even if you weren't going to come back for me, I guess I understand. After all, I'm searching for friends I lost too." He cocked his head in her direction, and gave her a half smile from behind his spiky locks. Namine reached her hand out to him. Even if he was still upset with her, at least he was back on her side. In a strange world, it was always good to have a team. Leaning closer to him, she explained her plan.

"Alice," she breathed into the younger girl's hair.

"Yes?" Alice asked, batting her eyes. She looked bleary-eyed, as though she had just woken up. Namine jerked away, amazed at what fear had done to her sweet face.

"Come on," The blonde said, nudging the girl out of her lap where she had been laying, "you have to get up. I know how to save you."

* * *

"Ma'am," Alice called up to the Queen from the cage.

"What?" she asked with annoyance heavy in her voice. She peered down at the children from her throne as though they were scum.

"I'm getting awfully hot down here, and my legs are hurting. Don't you think you could let me out for only a minute?"

"No."

Alice turned back to Namine and Sora and shrugged, but they nodded for her to keep going. After all, Alice knew how to be persistent. "Please, ma'am. You must!"

"Why should I?"

"Because, _your majesty_," she emphasized, "I have gold. It could be yours if only you let me out." The Queen looked down on her with doubt.

"Show me."

"It's heavy. I couldn't hold it up to show you. Come down and let me out, and I'll show you," the blonde insisted. The three teens watched as the Queen bit her lip in thought. She tapped her chin with a long bony finger, surprisingly skinny compared to the woman's large body. Finally, she called to her guards to let her out. "But ma'am," Alice persuaded, "You don't want your guards to steal your gold, do you? In fact, make them leave the room, so then you'll know that they won't see where you hide it away."

"You make a good point, child," thought the old lady. "Guards! You heard her! Out with you!" The children watched as one by one the guards exited through the side door hidden in hedges. A rustling came from above them as the Queen climbed off of her tall throne and teetered to where Alice waited at the door of the cage.

"Where is it, girl?" The Queen spat at Alice once she was off of the throne.

"Ma'am, you have to come over here. I told you, all of this gold is _awfully_ heavy…" Alice moaned. Namine had to admit, she was a better actor than she was given credit for. The old woman draped in hearts scuttled until she was almost touching the bars of the cell. "Can I come out?" asked the blonde, lip poking out, "We had a deal, you know."

"Ah, yes," the Queen said, fumbling with the lock. Finally, she managed to open it. Namine guessed that she normally made her guards work with this kind of thing.

Once the door was opened, and Alice walked to the middle of the yard, Sora pounced behind her, landing on an unsuspecting Queen. The boy's keyblade struck the woman in the head, causing her to topple over onto the grass. Thankfully, it muffled her screams, so none of the guards could come to her aid. The three children stood around for a second nervously. Alice felt a pang of guilt for the Queen, despite how wicked she had been. It was in Alice's nature to care for people, no matter how cruel.

"Hurry!" Namine cried, breaking the momentary trance that the injury had created. The Queen hadn't even died; she was simply unconscious under the blow.

Together, the three children rang out of that place, hoping never to set foot in such danger again.

Turning to Sora, Namine grinned. "See? I told you I would come back for you."

"Yeah. I never doubted you," Sora replied, returning the smile.

"Alice, I have to go again, sorry," Namine said, almost in tears.

"It's ok!" Alice said, just happy to be freed, "Why are you crying? You'll come back, I know you will."

The older girl felt the cold tears running down her pale face. It was inexplicable, "I just feel like I'll never come back…"

* * *

Back in Castle Oblivion, Namine ran into Axel yet again. It was odd, that he always seemed to be here when she would come back from Wonderland. Namine looked at his spiky red hair, unique to him. His back was to her, and as Namine came up on his side, she noticed his arms were crossed, and he had a blank expression on his face.

"Axel?" Axel turned to her, as though just noticing she was there. He nodded at her, but didn't say anything. She continued, "How come you never tell?"

For a second, the redhead just gave her a puzzled expression. He finally asked, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you obviously know where I go, so how come you haven't told the organization yet?"

"Oh. That." He glanced at the floor, his blue green eyes tracing patterns in the tiling.

"I just get more out of not telling then I would if I told. At least, that's how it is now." Namine understood what he meant, and it sickened her. He meant things like last night. He truly was despicable.

"What do you mean, 'At least that's how it is now'?" Axel gave her a sideways grimace, and tapped his chin.

"Well… I don't know. I'm just saying…" Axel trailed off. "Now rush on back to your room before the organization finds you."

As Namine sprinted back to her bedroom, she thought back to the last thing she had told Alice. "I just feel like I'll never come back…" Tears rolled slowly down her face, their salty flavor finding their way into her mouth. The blonde didn't know what was going to happen exactly, but Namine felt that something was going to change.


End file.
